Lester then went on to repeat the conversation he had had with David, as nearly as he could recall it, and wound up by saying:—­

“I told him that we were going to start a Sportsman’s Club among the fellows, and that after we got fairly going, our first hard work should be to break up this practice of trapping birds.  Of course that wasn’t true—­I just happened to think of it while I was talking to him—­but why can’t we make it true?  If all the boys will join in with us, I’d like to see him do any trapping this winter.”

“But who can we get to go in with us?”

“We’ll ask Don and Bert the first thing.”

“Nary time,” exclaimed Bob, quickly.  “If they are the sort you’re going to get to join your club, you may just count me out.  I don’t like them.”

“You like them just as well as I do; but we have an object to gain, and we mustn’t allow our personal feelings to stand in our way.”

“Do you suppose Don would join such a club after getting Dave the job?”

“Perhaps he would.  He likes to be first in everything, doesn’t he?”

“I should say so,” replied Bob, in great disgust.  “I never saw a fellow try to shove himself ahead as that Don Gordon does.”

“Well, we’ll flatter him by offering to make him President of the club; and we’ll promise to make Bert Vice or Secretary.”

“I’ll not vote for either of them.”

“Yes, you will.  We want to get them on our side; for if they promise to go in with us every boy in the settlement will do the same.”

“That’s what makes me so mad every time I think of those Gordons,” exclaimed Bob, spitefully throwing down a stick which he had been cutting with his knife.  “Every fellow about here, except you and me, is ready to hang on to their coat tails and do just what they do.  One would think by the way they act that they belonged to some royal family.  They don’t notice me at all.  They’ve had a crowd of boys in that shooting-box of theirs every spring and fall since I can remember, and I have never had an invitation to go there yet.  They take along a nigger to cook for them, and have a high old time shooting over their decoys; but the first thing they know they’ll find that shanty missing some fine morning.  I’ll set fire to it.”

“Don’t say that out loud,” said Lester, quickly, at the same time extending his hand to his companion, as if to show that what he had said met his own views exactly.  “Don’t so much as hint it to a living person.  We’ll give them a chance to make friends with us if they want to, and if they don’t, let them take the consequences.  But we can talk about that some other time.  What do you say to getting up a Sportsman’s Club?”

Bob did not know what to say, for he had never heard of such a thing until he became acquainted with Lester.  The latter explained the objects of such organizations as well as he could, and after some debate they crossed over to the house, intending to go into Bob’s room and draw up a constitution for the government of the proposed society.  On the way Bob suddenly thought of something.